James OlleyDec 30, 2025, 07:37 PM ETCloseJames Olley is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @JamesOlley.Follow on X
play0:51Arteta ‘so happy’ after Arsenal smash Aston VillaMikel Arteta reacts to Arsenal’s comfortable win over Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Nicol backs Arsenal to win the Premier League after beating Aston Villa (1:05)Steve Nicol makes Arsenal Premier League title favourites after an emphatic win over Aston Villa. (1:05)
Arteta ‘so happy’ after Arsenal smash Aston VillaMikel Arteta reacts to Arsenal’s comfortable win over Aston Villa in the Premier League.
They came with mounting concern and left with renewed hope. That is the transformative effect a win like this can have on Arsenal and their supporters, who have watched a nervousness creep into their side’s title challenge in recent weeks as Manchester City and Aston Villa steadily closed the gap at the top.
They have been waiting for an emphatic response to the gathering gloom. And here, finally, Arsenal delivered.
This was more than just a 4-1 victory. It answers a valid question of their journey to this point: whether they could actually beat one of their rivals for the Premier League title.
As Mikel Arteta put it, quite simply, after a goalless 45 minutes along the uneven and uncertain lines of recent weeks: “We clicked.”
There is a debate to be had over whether Villa are genuine contenders, but they arrived here equaling a club record of 11 consecutive wins across all competitions, including a dramatic success against Arsenal just 24 days ago.
Mikel Arteta reacts to Arsenal’s comfortable win over Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Villa still broke the game up very effectively in an even first half. But they had no answer to an Arsenal side powered by Gabriel Magalhães’ return to partner William Saliba at center back and Martin Odegaard’s best game of the season in central midfield.
Gabriel’s presence in both boxes has been sorely missed — this was his first start since Nov. 8 with a thigh injury — and his towering header set Arsenal on their way three minutes after halftime. That goal came from Arsenal’s first corner of the match. They end 2025 with 17 goals from corners — only Manchester United in 2012 have ever netted more (18) — and it demonstrates the order he brings to his team.
Aligned to that was Odegaard’s growing influence, epitomized by Arsenal’s second goal as his perfectly weighted pass found Martín Zubimendi’s run and the Spaniard poked a shot past Emiliano Martínez.
“Obviously he had two times a shoulder injury, then he had a big knee injury and that takes a little bit of time,” said Arteta of Odegaard. “Now you can see that he is flowing, that his energy level is back to where it is, that he is taking risks, that he is affecting the game in a great way.”
Villa still threw the odd punch, and after somehow not scoring earlier in stoppage time — John McGinn gave Arsenal’s David Raya the chance to make a spectacular save with the goal at his mercy from inside the six-yard box — Ollie Watkins eventually tapped in for the merest of consolations.
The managers did not shake hands at the end. Emery’s defense that “it was too cold to wait” was as weak as Villa’s in the second half. Arsenal were apparently too busy celebrating. Villa’s sights may be set slightly lower after this, but Arteta spoke of surging self-belief.
“We play every 2½ days,” he said. “The schedule is very, very demanding. We have some very tough matches, injuries, but the players are so willing.
“So winning helps all that. All the sacrifices and commitment that you put in get reflected in results and great performances. That’s so satisfying but we know there’s still so much to play for.
“It’s a great way to end the year, that’s for sure. Tomorrow, [we will] have a good night with our families. Then the next day we are in and we have to go to Bournemouth and we know what that means.”
The win means Arsenal end 2025 five points clear. Such is the pace of play these days that they could still be second by Sunday, should their weekend trip to Bournemouth prove troublesome. But they should head into these challenges with forward momentum again after a stuttering few weeks. How far it takes them remains to be seen, but once again, the possibilities feel limitless.
Nicol backs Arsenal to win the Premier League after beating Aston Villa (1:05)Steve Nicol makes Arsenal Premier League title favourites after an emphatic win over Aston Villa. (1:05)
Steve Nicol makes Arsenal Premier League title favourites after an emphatic win over Aston Villa. (1:05)
CloseJames Olley is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @JamesOlley.Follow on X
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Villa therefore commanded maximum respect. But Arsenal, after a slow start, blew them away.
Arteta once declared that Gabriel “sets the tone” for his side and so it proved here, with the Brazilian scoring the goal that tipped the contest in their favor before providing the sort of heroic defensive interventions — such as his diving header to stop Youri Tielemans — that inspire those around him.